Violin-piano.



.No. 836,844. PA TENTED NOV. 27, 1906.

J. L. WARNER. VIOLIN PIANO.

1 APPLIGATION FILED 00T.2, 1905.

2 SHEETSSHBET 1.

jgllm Attorneys 7w: NDRPIS PETERS co., wasmzvcmrv. n. c.

IATENTED NOV. 27, 1906.

4 J. L. WARNER.

VIOLIN PIANO. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 2, 1905.

Z SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

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Witnesses Inventor. gal W a f I Attorneys I specification.

UNITED STATES JAMES L. WARNER. or GIRARD, KANSAS.

VIOLIN-PIANO- Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 27, 1906.

Application filed October 2, 1905. Serial No. 281.070-

To all Lu/1,07% it Tll/Ll/y concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES L. WARNER, a citizen f the United States,residing at Girard, in the county of Crawford and State of Kansas, haveinvented a new and useful Violin-Piano, of which the following is a Thisinvention relates to violin-pianos, and has for itsprincipal object toprovide a novel mechanism for setting the strings of a piano or similarinstrument into vibration without the employment of the ordinaryhammers.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mechanism of this typewhich may be substituted for the ordinary piano-actionby merely removingthe latter and placing the device forming the subject of the presentinvention in its place.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a revolublestring-vibrating member arranged in front of the string and movabletoward and from the same, a separate vibrating member being employed inconnection with each of the keys of the instrument, so that the lattermay be played in the same manner as an ordinary piano or organ.

A still further object of the invention is to rovide normally inactivevibrating memliers which when moved into engagement with the string arerevolved through the medium of a continuously-operating drivingbelt andare removed from the driving-belt as they move from contact with thestring.

A still further object of the invention is to provide anovel form ofvibrator and dampercarrier which when moved in one direction draws thedamper from the string and moves the vibrator into contact therewith,and when moved in the opposite direction withdraws the vibrator andforces the damper into contact with. the string. I

With these and other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafterappear, the invention consists in certain novel features of constructionand arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims, it bein understood that various changes in the orm, proportions,size, and minor details of the structure may be made without departingfrom the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of amusical instrument constructed in accordance with the invention, theframework and casing being omitted. Fig. 2 is a similar view of theprincipal portions of the mechanism drawn to an enlarged scale andshowing the vibrator in contact with a string. Fig. 3 is a sectionalplan view of a portion of the mechanism on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig.4 is a similar view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The key-frame 10, keys 11, and strings 12 may be of any ordinaryconstruction and arranged in any suitable manner, those in the presentinstance representing the parts of an ordinary form of upright piano.

The various parts of the mechanism are supported on four rails 13, 14,.15, and 16, which extend across from side to side of the 1 instrument infront of the strings. cipal rail 14 is provided with flanges 18, to

The prinwhich are pivoted the approximately-vertical cross-bars 19 ofsemicircular strips 20, that form carriers for the vibrators anddampers. Each of these frames is held normally in inactive position by aspring 21, the up er end of which is secured to the rail 14, w 'le thelower end of the spring bears against the bar 19. The opposite ends ofthe frame serve as supports for a short vertical shaft 22,

the upper and lower ends of which extend beyond the frame.

is guided in a groove 23, formed in a small The upper end of the shaftguide-plate 24, that is secured to the rail 13,

while the lower end of the shaft is received within the groove of asmall guide-plate 25, that is secured to the rail 15, these guidesserving to prevent any lateral play of the shaft.

On the upper portion of the shaft is keyed a vibrator 26, this beingpreferably in the form of a frusto-conical roller formed of soft rubberwound with straight hair or covered with skin with the hair left on, thehair running circumferentially around the roller, or silk thread may beused in place of the hair. In any case the hair or fiber is treated withvarnish containing resin and will be held in place when the mixture isdry.

The resin-applying apparatus consists in the present instance of abell-crank lever 28, pivoted at the point of bifurcation to a lug orflange 29, projecting from the rail 13. One

a block 30, of resin, or a compound containing resin, while the oppositearm of the lever is provided with a counterweight 31, that normally isheld in elevated position by a tiltable bar 32, extending across theinstrument and mounted on pivots 33, so that it may be moved down to thedotted-line posi tion, (shown in Fig. 2,) thus permitting the resinblock 30 to make contact with the vibrator 26. WVhen moved to thefull-line position, the resin block will be moved out of engagement withthe vibrator.

Near the lower end of the shaft 22 is mounted a drum orwheel 35, that isformed of any suitable material and is provided with. a plurality ofteeth 36, that project from the periphery of the drum on non-radiallines. The lower end of each frame 20 also carries a damper 37, that isarranged to make contact with the string when the parts are in normalposition.

Immediately above the rail 15 is arranged a driving-belt 38, that isformed of any suitable material, preferably horsehair, interwoven withtransverse strips or threads of metal, which will positively engage withthe teeth 36 of the drums when the latter are moved into engagement withthe belt and impart positive movement thereto, so that the vibrator willbe turned, no matter what the resistance offered may be. The teeth 36are arranged on non-radial. lines, so that while firmly clutched by thebelt they will readily pull out of said belt without injury. The beltmay be supported and driven in any suitable manner.

The lower rail 15 is provided with a series of springs 39, and on theupper end of each spring is mounted a roller 10, that is in alinementwith the drum 35, there being one of such rollers for each of the drums.This roller forms a packing for the belt and is held in operativeposition by the spring 39, so that good driving contact between the beltand drum is insured Each of the semicircular frames 20 is provided witha projecting spring-arm 42, the upper end of which is connected to avertically-movable jack 43, that is operated from the keys.

In the operation of the device the depression of a key will elevate oneof the jacks, and the frame 20 will be rocked from the position shown inFig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2, the vibrator 26 coming intocontact with the string, while the drum 35 engages the belt 38 and ispositively rotated by said belt, the movement being transmitted to thevibrator, and the latter in moving across the string sets said. stringinto vibration, the sound produced being similar to that of a violin orother bow instrument. I/Vhen the pressure on the key is relieved, theparts are restored to normal position and the damper I37 engages thestring.

The parts are of such construction that by the removal of the ordinarypiano-action the device forming the subject of the present invention.may be placed in position and operated from the piano-keyboard.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a stringedmusical instrument, a shaft, a rocking frame, the opposite ends of whichare provided. with bearings for said shaft, the frame being pivoted at apoint intermediate of its ends, a drum mounted on the shaft near one endthereof, a vibrator carried by the sh aft near the opposite end, acontinuously-operated belt adjacent to the drum, an d a key-actuatedmeans for rocking the frame to effect contact between the vibrator andthe string and between the drum and the belt.

2. In a stringed musical instrument, a shaft, a rocking frame carryingsaid shaft, slotted guides for the opposite ends of the shaft, avibrator mounted at one end of the shaft, a drum mounted at the oppositeend of the shaft, a continuously-operated belt, akeyactuated means forrocking the frame, and means for restoring the frame to initial positionwhen the key is released.

3. In a stringed musical instrument, the combination. with a rockingframe, of a shaft supported thereby, a vibrator arranged at one end ofthe shaft, a drum arranged at the opposite end of the shaft and providedwith pe ripheral teeth, means for rocking the frame, and acontinuously-operated belt with which said toothed drum is engaged whenthe vi brator makes contact with the string.

4. In a stringed musical instrument, the

.eombinati on with a rocking frame, of a shaft supported by the frame,means for rocking the frame, a vibrator arranged at one end of theshaft, a drum arranged at the opposite end of the shaft an d providedwith peripheral teeth, said teeth extending on non-radial lines, and. acontinuously-operated belt with which said toothed drum is engaged whenthe vibrator is moved into contact with the string.

5. In a stringed. musical instrument, the combination with a rockingframe, of a shaft carried thereby, a vibrator at one end of the shaft, adrum at the opposite end. of the shaft, a continuously-operated beltwith which said frame may engage, a key-operated mechanism for tiltingthe frame, and a sprin g-pressed roller forming backing for the belt ata point opposite the drum.

6. In a stringed musical instrument, the combination with a revolublevibrator, of a bell-crank lever, a resin-clamp at one arm. of the lever,a counterweight on the second arm of the lever, and a tiltable barengaging the counterweigl ited arm and n orm ally in aintaining theresin out of contact with the vibrator.

7. In a stringed musical instrument, a

IIC

rocking frame, a shaft supported by said I frame, a revoluble vibratorcarried by the shaft at one end of the frame, means for revolving theshaft, and a damper secured to the opposite end of the frame andarranged to move into engagement with the strings as the vibrator movesout of engagement with the strings.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in o the presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES L. WARNER.

Witnesses WALTER K. POTTER, GEORGE E. OoLE.

